Welcome to Special Collections

The Special Collections unit of the Michigan State University Libraries collects, houses, and preserves rare and unique materials within the MSU Libraries. Our materials cover a vast array of topics from Africana to Veterinary Medicine. These materials are available to the public in our reading room.

Special Collections is also responsible for all preservation related activities in the MSU Libraries.

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L'ecole des armes (Londres, 1763) by Domenico Angelo was the most important and lavish fencing manual of its day. Besides text, it featured beautifully illustrated plates by English artists depicting fencers, including the author himself, in various important poses. The illustrations were later used unaltered in the illustrative section on "Escrime" in the great Encyclopedie (1765).

Born in Italy, Angelo achieved great fame in England as founder of the House of Angelo, a highly fashionable fencing school which included the patronage of the Prince of Wales. The first edition copy in Special collections is a gift of Charles Schmitter and is part of the renowned Schmitter Fencing Collection.

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Did you Know...

• One of the classic treatises on the art of hunting and falconry is La venerie de Lacques du Fouilloux..., (Rouen, 1650). From the Veterinary Collection.
• Much of the Changing Men Collection was microfilmed in 2002 and is available from Primary Source Microfilm.

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